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Local community centre, Gallows Close, is soon to burst with new life following a centre revamp that has opened a door to more opportunities for community groups.

Volunteers who run the Gallows Close Centre worked closely with apprentices and operatives from national property maintenance company, Sanctuary Maintenance, to give the centre’s upstairs area some tender loving care.

The space, which is used to store equipment for different activities, had become overcrowded and there was limited space to facilitate new materials, reducing the amount of new groups and activities the centres management committee could welcome.

The team from Sanctuary Maintenance donated and built new shelving and units that would allow the volunteers to organise the equipment and clear more space.

Andy Pearson, Scarborough trade supervisor at Sanctuary Maintenance, said: “Gallows Close is the heart of the community in Barrowcliff, bringing people together for different activities. We are glad that we were able to help the volunteers to provide even more opportunities for the different groups within the community.”

The centre is used by a wide majority of the community for activities including yoga, jujitsu and the local youth club.

Jim Martin, Gallows Close management committee chair, said: “The new units have made an enormous improvement to our storage facilities allowing us to provide a better service to the whole community.”

The refurbishment came from Groundwork who has given the Gallows Close a £200,000 grant to revitalise the centre, increase its usage and help sustain it in the longer term.

Tom Mutton, programme manager for Groundwork North Yorkshire, said: “Space is already limited and the upstairs storage area was packed to the rafters. The revamp and help from Sanctuary has been invaluable.”